Cement-block machine.



PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

" G. F. DAVIS.

CEMENT BLOCK MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1905.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

n or.

Attorney s PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

C. F. DAVIS. NT BLOCK MACHINE. IAPPLIGATION FILED MAY 8, 1905.

GEME

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lnvenfgr.

Attorneys if H nnrrn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE F. DAVIS, OF SHERWOOD, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO A. LEROY LOCKE, OF BRONSON, MICHIGAN.

CEMENT-BLOCK MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE F. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residin at Sherwood, in the county of Branch an State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Cement-Block Machine, of which the followis aspecification.

This invention relates to machines for making artificial-stonebuilding-blocks, and has for its object to provide a simple, durable,and efficient machine of this character especially adapted formanufacturing blocks or bricks having a plurality of vertically-disposedair-fiues formed therein, so as to prevent the entrance of frost andmoisture to the inner face of the blocks when the latter are laid into awall.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine having aplurality of reciprocatory core members arranged in staggered relationand movable to operative and inoperative positions within the mold.

A further object is to form the mold with interchangeable side and endwalls and to provide means whereby the machine may be adapted formolding quarter and half length blocks and also for making comer-blocks.

A still further object of the invention is to provide novel means foroperating the core members and means for automatically locking themovable walls of the mold in closed position.

IVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in form, proportions, and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a molding-machine constructed inaccordance with my invention, showing the movable walls of the mold inclosed position. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the upper portion of themachine, showing the walls in open position. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken onthe line 4: 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion ofamold adapted for making cornerblocks. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of apartition-plate used in connection with the machine when making quarteror half length blocks. Fig. 7 is a simllar View of a buildingblockmolded in the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The machine, which may be constructed of wood, metal, or other suitablematerial, consists of a supporting-frame comprising the uprights orstandards 5 and 6, to which is secured in any suitable manner thebed-plate 7. Secured to or formed integral with the bed-plate 7 is arectangular frame 8, to which are pivoted, as by hinges 9, the movableend walls 10 and the side walls 11 of the mold.

The active face of the bed-plate extends a short distance above thegeneral plane of the frame 8, thereby defining a continuous shoulder 12,adapted to engage the movable walls 10 and 11 when the latter are inclosed position. The side walls 11 are provided with oppositely-disposedlongitudinal lugs or pins 12, adapted to enter suitable openings 13 inthe end Walls 10 when the latter are closed, said lugs being providedwith terminal locking recesses or notches 14 for engagement withgravity-actuated locking-bars 15. The locking-bars 15 are slidablymounted in guiding-loops 16, fastened to the end walls 10, and areprovided with reduced extensions 17, the outer faces of which areinclined or beveled, as indicated at 18, so that when the end walls areclosed the initial movement of the latter will cause the beveled edgesof the locking-bars to engage the conical heads of the pins or lugs andelevate said bars, a further closing movement thereof causing said barsto drop by gravity into engagement with the lcecking-recesses, as willbe readily und erstoo The bed-plate 7 is formed with a plurality I ofopenings 19, adapted to receive the core members 20, the latter beingsecured in any suitable manner to a reciprocatory followerplate 21,mounted for vertical movement in suitable guides 22, formed by rabbetingthe adjacent faces of the standards 5 and 6. The

core members 20 are preferably disposed in staggered relation, asclearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, whereby the molded block 23will be formed with a series of spaced overlapping air-fines 25,designed to prevent the entrance of frost or moisture to the inner faceof the blocks when the latter are laid into a wall. The follower-plate21 movably engages the base or bottom of the bed-plate 7 and ispreferably formed with oppositelydisposed guiding lugs 26 for engagementwith the uprights or standards. Secured to the guiding-lugs 26 aredepending rectangular frames 27, which engage the rabbeted edges of thestandards and serve as an additional means for guiding thefollower-plate. Fastened in any suitable manner to the lowercross-bearns 28 of the frames 27 are coilsprings 29, the opposite endsof which are secured to the rectangular frameS, said springs serving toretract or return the follower-plate carrying the cores to its normalposition after being depressed. J ournaled in suitable bearings 30,secured to the standards 5 and 6, is a horizontally-disposed shaft orwinding-drum 31 and passing through openings 32, formed in said shaft,is a rope, cable, or other flexible medium 33, which latter is securedin any suitable manner to the bottom of the follower-plate 21. The shaft31 is extended beyond the side of the machine and is provided with ahand-Wheel 34, by means of which said shaft may be rotated to wind therope or cable, and thereby withdraw the core members from the moldpreparatory to removing the molded block. As a means for locking thecore members in elevated or depressed positions there is provided alocking-pawl 35, one end of which is pivoted, as indicated at 36, to theupright 6, while the free end thereof engages the teeth on aratchet-wheel 37, keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the we tendedend of the shaft or winding-drum 31.

The pivoted end walls of the mold are pro vided with stationary endcores 38 for forming the end recesses 39 in the building-block, whilethe inner face of one of the side walls 1 1 is preferably stamped, cut,embossed, or otherwise formed in representation of chipped rock, asindicated at 40, so as to impart a similar ornamental design to theexposed face 41 of the block. The side and end walls of the mold aremade detachable and preferably interchangeable, so that the wall havingthe ornamental design stamped thereon may be quickly detached andreplaced by another having a different design. If desired, however,instead of stamping or otherwise forming the design on the walls of themold proper suitable pattern-plates having the desired design stampedthereon may be inserted in the mold preparatory to introducing thecement, concrete, or other plastic material.

In making the blocks the walls are first moved to closed position andthe core members elevated, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Thecement, concrete, or other plastic material is then shoveled orotherwise introduced into the mold and thoroughly tamped in anywell-known manner, after which the Walls are moved to open position andthe core members withdrawn from the mold by rotating the hand-wheel 34.As the hand wheel 34 is rotated it winds the rope or cable 33 on thedrum 31, the pawl automatically engaging the teeth on the pawl andserving to lock said cores in adjusted position. The block may now beremoved from the mold and carried to the dryingracks on the pallet 42,the latter being adapted to rest on the bed-plate and provided withsuitable openings to permit the passage of the cores.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified form of theinvention particularly designed for making corner-blocks. In this case adetachable partition-block 43 is placed within the mold in contact withone of the core members, said block being retained in position by astrap 44, one end of which is fastened to said block, while the oppositeend thereof is bent downwardly for engagement with the adjacent sidewall of the mold. In forming the corner-blocks one of the end walls ofthe mold having the stationary core secured thereto is detached and theend wall 45 substituted, the latter having its inner face stamped orembossed in imitation of cut stone for imparting the design to the endWall of the molded block.

In Fig. 6 there is illustrated a plate or partition 46, adapted to beinserted in the mold when manufacturing half or quarter length blocks,said partition being provided with suitable recesses 47, adapted toreceive the core members.

It Will be noted that a number of the pallets 42 are used in connectionwith the mold.- ing-machine in order to enable each block as soon as itis molded to be removed from the machine and allowed to harden, as theblocks cannot at once be taken from the bottom plate or pallet withoutrisk of injuring or destroying them.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a machineof the class described, a mold having movable side walls provided withterminal lockinglugs, movable end walls provided with openings adaptedto receive said lugs, and gravity-actuated lockingbars carried by theend Walls for engagement with said locking-lugs.

2. In a machine of the class described, a mold having pivoted side wallsprovided with terminal recessed locking-lugs, pivoted end walls providedwith openings adapted to receive said lugs, and locking-bars slidablymounted on the end walls and movable by gravity into engagement with therecesses in the locking-lugs.

3. In a machine of the class described, a mold having pivoted side wallsprovided with terminal recessed locking-lugs, pivoted end walls providedwith openings adapted to receive said lugs, and gravity-actuatedlocking-bars having their opposite ends inclined or beveled forengagement With the recesses in the locking-lugs.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a frame, ofa mold, a bedplate secured to the frame and provided With a plurality ofopenings, side and end Walls pivoted to the frame and adapted to engagethe bed-plate When in closed position, terminal locking-lugs secured tothe side Walls, a plurality of core members engaging the openings in thebed-plate and movable to operative and inoperative positions Within themold, a Winding-drum for operating said core members, means for lockingthe cores in inoperative position, means for returning said cores tooperative position and gravity-actuated locking-bars carried by the endwalls and adapted to engage the terminal'lugs, for locking the side andend Walls in closed position.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the legs orstandards, of a mold, a bed-plate provided with a plurality of openings,a frame surrounding the bedplate, side and end Wallspivoted to the frameand adapted to engage the bed-plate When in closed position, a pluralityof core members engaging the openings in the bed-plate and movable tooperative and inoperative positions Within the mold, a Winding-drumjournaled in said standards for operating the core members, said drumbeing provided With a plurality of spaced openings, a flexible mediumpassing through the openings in the Winding and having its opposite endssecured to said core members, a pawl-andratchet mechanism for .lockingsaid members in inoperative position, and means for returning said coremembers to operative position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

CLARENCE F. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

RICHARD OOWARD, B. P. TAGGART.

